Composite unit wall



July 2, 192 9. P. BERMAN 1.719.749

COMPOSITE UNIT WALL Filed NOV, 3, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fzy- 3 INVENTORI FH/L lP BER/WAN ATTORN EY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 2, 1929. P. BERMANCOMPOSITE UNIT WALL Filed Nov. 3, 1928 PH/L/P BER/WAN BY 2 a 4 ATTORNEYPatented July 2, 1929.

UNITED sures PHILIP BERMAN, or new YORK, n. 3?.

commits UNIT WALL.

Application filed November 3, 192'8. Serial "No. "317,061;

This invention relates to an improved form.

oi hollow building block especially adapted for use in the constructionof celliilar unitwalls for buildings.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved form ofhollow building block having a plurality of means for preventing seepageof moisture from one side of the Wall to the other.

Another object of this invention is to pro vi'de a system ofconstruction for building Walls-composed of a plurality of hollowcomposite unit-blo'cl rs having front and rear bod;- se'ctions whichjointly comprise the full vall thickness, the design of theunit-wall-blocks being such as to interlock with each other andeliininate the need of expert masons.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide e. hollow unit-blo'ckofiull Wall thickness for ventilated unit-walls, each block having;Vertical air passages therethrough, adapted to communicate with similarair passages in other blocks superimposed thereon as Well asthose'loc'ated below, these air passages being separated from each otherby cross-webs formed integrally with the front and rear sections of theblocks but of a height less than the heights of thh flOFilTfi-Iid rearsections of the blocks, thereby lorn'ii'ng cross-passages at the top andbottoi'n of the crosswebs and permitting a cross-circulation of air fromone vertical an passage to another.

Another object of this iiive'ntion to Provide ventilated hollowunit-Wall construction of low cost, of relatively low unit weight, andwl'iich possesses the necessary thermal insulating properties and is ofrugged construction. I

It is well known that solid masonry walls Without a continuous internalair space collec't dampness. Hollow building blocks may mademoisture-proof but the mortar joints between the blocks can not; as theype'rmit dampness and inoistillfe to go through to, the iiiiier surfaceof the wall by capillary action, thus inakirig it necessary in order tothoroughly protect the inner face of the wall, to provide lath or othermeans for separating the plaster on the iniier face of the will from theinner surface of the blocks.

It is hecessary to break the cohtinuityot the nib'rtar layer'sbetweenthe inner and outer faces oli the wall and this invention meets thisisqui'rmeiie It. is possible to apply the plaster directly to the innersurface of my hollow nnit-blocks without any danger of hai ing theplaster d scolored by moisture.

Leterenc'e will now be had to the diawing's, wherein hire numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views inwhich:

Figure 1 is "a perspective View of a hollow unit-walhblock built inaccordance with the sub ect matter of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a base for a composite unit-wall; Thebase has a recess at its upper front face, the recess extending allaround the top edge of the base.

to -me 3 IS a perspective view of a com posnehollow Unit-wallconstrlict'ed in accordance with the subject matter of this invention.

Figure 4 is a plan View of a composite unit- Wall. I

Figure 5 is a tr'oht elevation or the unitwall, with the upper layer ofblocks in section along the line 03-01: of Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 1, 1 indicates the unit- 'block which is ofrectangular oiit'line and has a frontho'dy section 2 and rear bodysection 3, which are uhit'ed by cross-webs 4, 4L he crossw'cbs actlate-rzil brhcing and serve to make the block suf'liciently ugged towithstand crushing strziins incidental to such structures. At the fromfiice o'lj the wall and integral with the froilt section 2, there isprovided a face plate 5, which is substantially ot'the same from facedimensions asthe front semen of the block but is located thereon inoli'set relation so that there is formed one flange 6 projectingdownwardly, one flange 7 projecting lengthwise, a'hd a doivnii 'a'rdlextending recess 8 at the top of the block and a recess 9 at one side ofthe bloclt. .At the interior face of the wall on body section 3 thereable base preferably of concrete, on which the wall of the building issupported. The base is provided with a downwardly extending recess 13 atthe upper edge of the front face.

Referring to Figure 3, 12 indicates the base; 14 and 15 are the cornerblocks, all the other blocks being the same as shown in Figure '1.

In constructing a wall as shown in Figure 3, one course 19, of blocks14, 1, etc. is first laid on the base 12, and then a superimposed course20, of blocks 15, 1, etc. is built thereon, but with the blocks in jointbreaking relation. so that the blocks will be set mediall v over thevertical junctions 16, of the lower course and so on throughout thewall. The faces of the blocks are intended to stand up in verticalalignment in one plane when the blocks are laid up in a wall so that theducts are over ducts and the cross-webs are over cross-webs and the loadis carried upon a line of continuous vertical members.

The blocks are bedded in motar both horizontally and vertically, but theduct spaces are left open. The central duct 10 of each block is invertical alignment with the duct between the adjacent blocks in the nextcourse above and below, thus forming a series of dryair chambersextending vertically the entire height of the wall, as best shown inFigure 4. The side walls of the block at the rear section 3 are parallelwhile the side walls at the front section 2 taper towards the front faceand when two blocks are laid up in any horizontal course of a wall, thevertical front edges of the block abut and the rear edges are spacedapart, and this leaves a tapering wedge-like layer of mortar at thefront section and a parallel layer of mortar 17 at the rear section.

The vertical mortar joints are covered up by the abutting front edges ofthe blocks and are not visible. The importance of abutting the side walledges and protecting the mortar joints and preventing the disintegratingaction of rain and frost can be noted from the facts that mortar jointsare weaker than the blocks which they unite and the failure of a masonrywall usually begins by cracking along these lines and that the strengthof block masonry is only about oneforth the compressive strength of anindividual block. These flanges 6 and 7 enable the blocks to be laidflush with the front face recess 13 of the base and with the front facerecesses 8, 9. of the adjacent blocks. At the rear faces of the blocksthere are provided a plurality of grooves 21, 21, in each block. Thesegrooves assist in maintaining the plaster in position.

The cross-webs 4, 4, are-formed integrally with the front and rearsections of the blocks, but of a height less than the heights of thefront and rear sections, thereby forming horizontal openings 18, 18,leading from one vertical duct to another and providing across-circulation of air from one vertical air duct to another.

Bymeans of the vertical duct-s 10, 11, and the horizontal cross-passages18, 18, a free circulation of air throughout the wall is permitted andthis materially decreases the tendency of the dampness to pass throughthe wall. The ducts and cross-passages reduce the weight of the blocksconsiderably and considering the full-wall thickness, these hollowblocks are of low unit weight. Inasmuch as the cross-webs are of lessheight than the front or rear sections, the continuity of the mortarjoints is interrupted by the open spaces, and the possibility of seepagethrough the whole depth of the mortar joints is pre vented. The abuttingside wall edges at the front face of the wall constitutes one check uponmoisture seepage and the horizontal openings break the layers of mortar17 into two and constitute another check upon moisture seepage. The airducts not only are adapted to cut off the dampness but they alsoinsulate the interior face of the wall from the cold'or heat at theexterior face of the wall.

The two projecting front flanges 6, 7, provide means for more perfectlyaligning'the blocks and for interlocking each block laterally with twoadjacent blocks, and an external pressure applied horizontally againstany block of this wall is resisted by all the blocks of the wall.

In laying the blocks, a layer of mortar is first placed on the top ofthe course previously laid and the downwardly extending front faceflange of the upper block is then pressed against the upper front facerecess of the lower course until the front faces are in line with thepreviously laid course. By this means the block is placed in positionquickly and accurately with the front face truly vertical and with itstop edge level at the correct course height.

This invention makes possible a more careful alignment of the blocks andprovides for definite vertical faces against which the blocks abut andalign automatically, accurately and quickly and my pre-formed hollowunit-wall-blocks are so constructed and associated as to greatlyminimize the manual labor incident to filling the'mortar joints andassembling such walls.

According to this invention, a wall constructed with my hollowunit-blocks is substantially equal in thickness to the thickness of asingle block, with the exception that the wall thickness may be enlargedslightly by the application to the interior surface of one or more coatsof plaster.

It will now be seen that in erecting a wall with the hollow unit-blocksbuilt in accordance with the subject matter of this invention that thiscan be done quicker than casting concrete walls in place as no mold isrequired,

concrete molds requiring that they be first set up and removed after theconcrete is hardened.

These building blocks may be made o t' any composite plastic materials.The blocks may be produced with various kinds of outer face finish suchas smooth finish. stone linish and of different colors. and may be ofany suitable length and depth. The blocks may also be used as interiortile blocks and for Vtll'ltt other uses. lleams. window sills andchanges in the thickness of walls may he made as readily as with bricks.These hollow blocks are preferablymolded with a front face plate ofarchitectural stone finish and with an ordinary rough block body.

It is readily seen that there has been provided a con'iposite unit-wallwhich meets the demand of the building industry for a wall structurewhich is immune from moisture seepage.

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A combined hollow unitwall-bloch comprising front and rear integralbody sections of substantially the same size and in the same parallelplanes spaced apart by cross-webs of a height than the body sections,the wall face of the front bod section being provided with an offsetface plate and forming two elements in different planes steppedrelatively to one another both vertically and horizontally, the wallface of the rear body section being provided with grooves for plasterfinish the side walls of the block at the rear section being paralleland the side walls of the block at the front section taper towards thefr: at face. one central air space and one open air space at ach sideextending vertically bet ween the body sections and crosspassagesconnecting one vertical air space w t h another. said body sectionsjointly comprise the full wall thickness.

L. A composite building: wall comprising a ba e having a recess at theupper edge of the front face. a plurality of layers of hollow unit-wailblocks laid horizontally in courses one above another. each hlocl;having front and rear body sections of substantially the same size andin the same parallel planes and which jointly comprise the full wallthicle ness. a plurality of vertical ai'r ducts and cross-webs betweenthe body sections and laid with relation to air ducts and crossovebs insimilar blocks in the next upper and lower courses, so that the airducts and cross-webs are in vertical alignment with the air ducts andcrciiso'velas in blocks of adjacent courses, and said cross-webs beingof a height less than the body se tions and forming horizontalcross-passages connecting the vertical air ducts. the rear body sectionsof the blocks bcinn provided with grooves for plaster finish and thesaid front body sections respectively provided with otfset front facephres which overlap and interlock with the base and with the adj: centblocks. and mortar joints comprising two separate layers between eachhorizontal and vertical face of the blocks and the vertical mortarjoints comprising covered wedgwshaped layers of mortar substzmtially asdescribed.

PHHQIP HERMAN.

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